


Cat's Cradle

by NanaBC



Series: High Stakes [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Light Bondage, M/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use, drug's made up tho, non-con elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-25
Updated: 2014-06-25
Packaged: 2018-02-06 03:43:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1843069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanaBC/pseuds/NanaBC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Please read High Stakes before this one. No need to read the whole thing, just enough so you'll know B. (the former Master) and Joey (the current). This is the story of how horny met stubborn. What fuelled Joey Wheeler's decision to challenge Master Kaiba, a.k.a. B., and his fate after he lost.<br/>Guest appearance by Mako Tsunami.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cat's Cradle

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I'm not making any profit with this, other than my own satisfaction. Mind crush!
> 
> Alright, so I'm just gonna explain again in case you're reading this without having read High Stakes for whatever reason. These aren't the regular Kaiba and Joey (and co.) we all know and love; they are from a parallel universe and don't act and talk anything like them. Especially Kaiba. Please don't complain about OOCness when they're not supposed to be in character in the first place. If you didn't read this and complain, I'm just gonna have to tell you to lutsch meine Schwanz. This story is a tie-in with High Stakes, to tell about how Joey came to be the asshole that he currently is there. If you want regular Kaiba and Joey, search some of my other fics, these aren't the droids you're looking for.
> 
> Not really light-hearted like High Stakes. High Stakes's light-hearted, right? *sweatdrops*
> 
> Note for whoever's reading this after High Stakes is finished: you can read this between chapters 18 and 19 of High Stakes. It fits other places, but this is where I was when I posted it.

**Cat's Cradle**

**1**

It really was his only option. Robbing stores wasn't exactly very profitable, since he could only rob cheap stores that didn't have security guards or CCTV without risking getting caught. His gang was quickly disappearing, losing its members to either jail or addiction. Even knowing it would be fruitless, he did try to get a job, but no one in their right minds would hire him; his rotten reputation preceded him.

His sister was slowly dying in front of his eyes.

He considered doing favours, but merely thinking about it was enough to make him nauseated. Then he remembered an old acquaintance, a young gambler by the name of Duke Devlin. He had connections in that field, and introduced him to a very simple deal. He'd be in a room with a one-way mirror, and he had to strip and touch himself, while undoubtedly some old pervert watched on the other side of the glass. Even if it was difficult to become aroused under such circumstances, he managed for a while, until one day, one of the perverts found a way to break into the room. He beat the pervert half to death, and Duke had to let him go. The pervert happened to be the mayor.

So  _that_  really was his last option.

He asked his friend Yugi to help him improve his game. Yugi's grandfather had a betting shop that was constantly being threatened by loan sharks, but he'd still found the time to teach his grandson how to decently play the game that practically ruled the town.

Yugi taught him everything he knew about Poker and soon, Joey Wheeler saw himself in front of the imposing gates of the Kaiba mansion.

oOo

He'd heard plenty about the rules that were followed inside that place. Either you won and took the Master's place or you lost and became his slave. And things weren't exactly looking bright, since no one had ever managed to defeat the Master. But it really was his only option.

There were armed security guards all around; through an open door, he could see people playing Poker around a smoky table, laughing and shaking their cigars in the air. He didn't see any slaves around, though. The entangling aroma of food he'd probably had never even heard of could be smelled from where he stood.

The Master sat on an oversized, round leather chair with his legs crossed, playing with a looping string, with a bored look. He wore a fancy pinstriped suit without the tie, and no shoes. He raised his head, and Joey could swear his blue eyes were staring right into his soul. He'd once heard a word that now he thought could perfectly describe those eyes: lancinating. He was a mouse held in place, hypnotized by a snake.

But suddenly the Master opened a big, bright smile and the impression was immediately broken.

"Oh, what a cute little piggy! Hmm… no, not piggy. You're more of a… puppy. Yes! Come, Puppy!"

Oh yes, he'd also heard Master Seto Kaiba was a flippant lunatic. He approached him cautiously.

"M-Master Kaiba, I'm here to challenge you to a d—"

"No, no. Play with me. Here." He extended his string-tangled hands, and Joey caught it without a second thought. He made the move easily, since he was used to play that by himself.

The Master caught it again, and they played for a while in silence, the Master watching him closely, barely paying attention to the piece of string, and him simply too nervous to speak.

When they were done, the Master threw the string aside and motioned for Joey to speak.

"Master, I challenge you to a duel."

The Master just stared at him, smiling. Joey noticed he almost never blinked. After a while, he got a deck from his pocket.

"Are you a good player, Puppy?"

"I… I manage."

"Mmm-hmm. Let's see how your luck fares." He showed him the cards. "See? This pretty Joker looking through his binoculars? I love this card." He shuffled the cards, and opened them in a fan. "If you find the Joker, I'll give you the post of Master right now and we won't even have to duel."

Joey was dumbstruck. So the guy really was a lunatic. Unless he cheated, of course.

With shaky hands, he took a card.

"Oh, wow."

Joey looked at the card. It was a six of spades. The Master showed him the cards again. "Look. The Joker was right next to it. That means you're probably pretty lucky; I'm just luckier." He smiled happily. "Come, follow, Puppy."

They entered a simple room with only a baized table and two chairs. "I find it better without distractions." He called a dealer, and Joey's first game of fate began.

oOo

"What? My slave?" The Master laughed heartily. "I'm afraid the rumours you heard are a little inaccurate. You do work for me now, but with a salary and everything else. I'm sorry I didn't explain before we played, I honestly thought you knew. I'll even let you choose what you would want to do."

After drastically losing by a long shot, Joey's mind could barely compute what the Master was saying.

"I think there's an open post in the kitchen, if you're a good cook. Security, if you know how to play with weapons, aaand… was there another one? I forgot…" He splayed a hand below his chin, as if in deep thought.

At the mention of kitchen, Joey's stomach growled violently.

"Oh, my. You're starving! Come, Puppy. Let's find you something to eat."

"I… really? So I get to work here then?"

"Yes, of course. Have you ever eaten  _foie gras_? No, I don't think you have. Well, if you don't like it, we can always arrange something else." They walked towards the kitchen.

"Fwa… gra?" Joey wondered what in the world could that be. It smelled very nice, but his mind swerved suddenly to something his mother used to make a long, long time ago before she gave up on her family.

"Forget that. What would you like to eat? Go ahead, you can order anything. These guys can cook food from all around the world."

Joey blushed, thinking about his simple favourite meal. "Is it okay then… curry rice?"

He thought the Master would laugh in his face for having such an ordinary taste, but he simply opened one of his bright smiles. "Curry rice it is. You're on, Tsunami." He looked at one of the cooks, who seemed to be the head chef, and he nodded at him. "Now let's play some more while we wait. I liked your style."

oOo

"You are good. With some practice, you could be great."

"N-nah, I ain't all that. I kinda knew the basics, and a friend helped me to get better."

"Oh. Tell your friend to come challenge me some day."

"Yeah, I think I will. We thought… we thought it would be something else, you know."

"Oh yes, you thought I was a… a slaveholder? Huh. Have to find out where those rumours came from. I think slaves must be counterproductive. A happy employee brings about much better results. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Um… sure." Joey remembered his now extinct gang. He wasn't exactly 'friendly' with his henchmen, and usually made them do more than they were willing. But that was different. It's not like they couldn't quit whenever they wanted. After withstanding a major beating from him, of course.

"And? Are you in need of money for something or you just thought it would be fun playing Master?"

"I, uh…" While the guy clearly wasn't the monster Joey thought he'd be, he wasn't about to just open up and tell him all about his life just like that. "Actually I wanted to buy an apartment to live with my sister."

The Master's eyes glinted. He was dying to ask if the sister was as hot as he was, but not only would that be highly inappropriate, it would probably scare him right away. He limited himself to smile and beat him for the tenth time consecutive.

"Man, you  _are_  good at this. No wonder they call you the Master."

"Well, actually… I called myself that. Then people started picking up on it, and it became… a thing. Back then I hadn't even made the rules yet, I just played for fun and profit. But then it started to get boring, so I decided to spice things up a little."

"Huh. Well, you deserve it anyways."

"Thanks, Puppy."

One of the cooks showed up to tell them the meal was ready. Joey ate and unceremoniously filled his plate twice more, while the Master delightedly watched him eat.

After they were done, the Master sat back on his villain chair. "I have a proposition for you. Would you like to hear it?"

That sounded suspicious, but Joey literally had nothing to lose. "S-sure."

"What if I had challenged you tonight? The rules say you can't have a rematch if you challenge me and lose. If I had challenged you, you would still have the opportunity to duel me again in one year. You could practice some more, and… who knows. What do you say?"

"What? W-why would you do something like that?"

The Master smiled another of his dazzling smiles, but this one looked more enigmatic than all of the others put together. "What other reason is there to do anything? Because I want to."

Joey was stunned. The Master was definitely insane. Probably the only reason he wasn't committed to a nuthouse yet was because he was filthy rich. There was no way he would pass this opportunity. "Okay, if you insist… I accept. So… do I start tomorrow or what?"

"Yes, you can return tomorrow. We'll talk formalities then."

"Alright. What did you say the three vacancies were for?"

"Three? Oh, they were… something to do with the kitchen, security and the other was, uh… gardening. Yes. Have you picked one yet?"

"Umm… yeah. I think kitchen then." He was swayed to choose security, but whatever it was he was supposed to do in the kitchen, not only would probably be much easier, but he would also get to eat lots of different tasty delicacies, and maybe even gain back the couple of lbs. he'd been missing the past few months for having only scraps of food to eat in his house.

What the Master really wanted was to give him the  _other_  position, the one no one had ever taken before, but maybe that wasn't such a hot idea; to keep him close and slowly win him over would probably turn out for the best in the long run. "Understood. By the way, I never asked. What is your name?"

"Oh, uh, it's Wheeler. Joey Wheeler."

The Master thought for a moment. "Okay. See you tomorrow, Puppy."

**2**

He became an apprentice cook, making friends with the other cooks in no time. Tsunami taught him how to make the curry rice he loved so much, and even a special version he could make spending very little. He would probably eat it until he got sick of it.

The Master came to check on his progress every other minute, which got Tsunami to playfully taunt him. "I think someone has an admirer!" He said it in a sing-song voice.

"What? What the hell are you talking about, Mako?"

"Oh, I don't know, I don't know."

"Man, don't you even think of saying something like that when he's around."

"Aw, why not?"

"Well, for starters I don't swing that way. And… isn't he…?" He circled a finger at his ear. Tsunami swatted at him with a napkin.

"You come up with stuff like that again and I'll put you in the fryer myself, kid. You don't disrespect Kaiba in this house."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I meant no disrespect. But… didn't you just call him by his name? Shouldn't you call him Master?"

"It seems you really don't know much about him yet. He likes being called by his name; 'Master', although being the official title, is more of an old inside joke about a program he likes. And it's mostly older people who know him longer that call him that. You can call him as such if you want, but you really don't have to."

"Oh, I see. But I think I'd feel awkward calling him by his name."

"Well, you should try. I'm sure he would be very pleased."

"Hmm… Kai…ba…"

"You called?"

"Gah! Were you just standing there?"

"No, I just have good timing. How is the  _Baeckeoffe_  coming along?"

"Ah, it's just finishing cooking." Joey found that the Master really loved French cuisine, so he had to quickly learn how to hold his laughter with names such as  _coq au vin_  and  _pissalat_.  _Baeckeoffe_  had nothing on him.

"Good." He sat with his elbows on the table and crossed his hands. Then he looked directly at Joey for a couple of seconds. "I could eat a dog."

It was that same gaze he had when Joey first got there. He couldn't look away, or do anything else, for that matter.

Then the Master smiled and asked for some brandy. Joey sighed relieved as he picked up a glass, not sure of what exactly he was relieved.

"I know you're working now, Puppy, but you should drink with me someday. Bottoms up. See who drops first."

Considering he had just drank half a bottle of hard liquor in a matter of minutes and didn't show a single sign of inebriation, Joey decided to pass. "Oh, I'm not very good with booze actually. I get drunk real easy."

"Oh? In that case we  _definitely_  should drink together." He winked at him and left the kitchen, taking the bottle and the glass with him.

Joey gulped, falling on a chair as his knees gave way. "I'm done for."

Tsunami laughed as he turned off the burner. "You sure are. I'm sorry to say this considering what you told me, but whatever Kaiba wants, he gets."

oOo

A month went by, and something felt very wrong to the Master. The Puppy didn't seem swayed by him in the least. And it's not like he didn't try; he tried his every waking hour. What could be wrong?

Another couple of weeks passed and nothing. Day after day he became more and more enamoured with his new employee, who seemed to be immune to his advances. He was at his wit's end.

The time for subtleties was over. When Joey prepared to leave for the day, he grabbed his arm and pressed him against a wall. "I don't know what to do anymore, Puppy. When will you understand that I want you?"

It took Joey more than a few seconds to regain back his voice. And another few to carefully think what he was going to say. "I'm… Mast— Kaiba… I'm very flattered that you feel that way, I am, trust me, but…"

"Don't." The hypnotizing stare was back. Joey miraculously found the strength to close his eyes.

"But I don't…"

"Say."

"I can't…" He swallowed, breathing hard.

"It."

"I can't go out with a guy."

The Master stared, and Joey maintained his eyes shut. He thought he'd probably pass out if he opened them, such was the strength behind that gaze.

Then suddenly, it wasn't there anymore. Neither the stare, nor its owner. Joey opened his eyes and the Master was standing a couple of feet away from him, with his back turned.

"You can go now."

"I… so I-I'll see you tomorrow?"

"No. I'm relieving you of your duties."

"What? B-but…"

"GO! AWAY! Before you regret it. Before  _I_  regret it."

Joey left without another word.

**3**

_**2 months later** _

The first (and only) pay check he got was a smidge of what he needed to help his sister. The doctor said he still had time; her disease was a slow acting one. Though it didn't mean she wasn't suffering.

He wasted the only chance he had; Serenity was going to die and it was his fault. But… he couldn't; he simply couldn't. Whenever he forced himself to think about how bad it could be, he would hyperventilate. The fact that the Master was a handsome person, probably one of the best looking people he'd ever seen, instead of a fat and sweaty middle-aged man at least didn't make him feel nauseated. But he still could barely tolerate the thought.

Whenever he visited his sister, she seemed smaller, as if she was slowly drifting away from him; but in reality he knew she was just wasting away. Her ever-present smile was such a huge contrast with the rest of her that he had to concentrate on it and smile too, or despair would take over him.

"I know you're doing all you can for me, Joey. I hate myself for being such a burden to you. I promise I'll make it up to you when I get out of here."

What could he say to that? He  _wasn't_  doing all he could. And burden or not, how would he ever blame her for being sick?

And… was she ever getting out?

He kissed her grey forehead and fondled her lifeless hair, and left without saying a word.

_Fuck._

_Fuck._

_Fuck._

His feet led him to the Kaiba mansion once again.

oOo

"You look worse than I do, Puppy."

"Please." He kneeled in front of the Master.

"They said I lost some weight, but you lost a ton."

"Please, Kaiba. Please, Master."

"Sunken eyes; barely resemble a puppy anymore."

"I'll do anything, please take me back."

"What a lacklustre fur. Say you're sorry for your insolence."

The Master spoke both sentences in the same monotone, and Joey almost missed the change of subject. "I'm… I'm sorry for my insolence." He lowered his head.

"You'll be taking job offer number three then. What was it again? Gardening? Oh, ha-ha, what was I thinking when I said that? Your position now is… look at me." The gaze. "Sex toy."

Joey passed out while staring at caustic blue eyes.

oOo

"You're lighter than a feather. Gotta put… some meat on you."

"Wah…" Oh god, he was on a bed. Did he still have his clothes on? Yes. Good.

"What? I wasn't going to do anything while you were sleeping. I 'm not a beast or anything."

Joey didn't say anything. Even if he thought his entire life, he still wouldn't know what to say.

"I showered. Thought I should. Hadn't taken one in days. You stink too, you know." He pointed at a door on the corner of the room. "You can use the bathrobe I left. I think red agrees with you." He turned and walked away from the bed, his own bathrobe defying logic and fluttering behind him.

Joey got up weakly and closed the bathroom door behind him. He spent a long time under the shower, knowing he was only delaying the inevitable. He got out when his fingers were all wrinkled, and put on a red bathrobe that was hanging on a hook. When he opened the door, the Master was there, holding a glass out to him.

"Drink." He did so without a second thought, swallowing the liquor in a few gulps. "Do you need… do you want any more?" He just nodded, and the Master filled the glass again, leaving the bottle over the counter. "Help yourself. When you're done, get on the bed."

Joey had already gotten dizzy with the first glass; the second made him see double and the third made him numb. He was ready now.

He climbed on the bed and just lay there, like a corpse. For a while it seemed like nothing would happen, the Master would just laugh at him and say it was all a joke. But that short reverie vanished when he felt a cold hand on his face.

"I can't say that's how I wanted it to be, but I guess not everything happens the way it should."

"…Yeah." He told himself not to feel the hands untying his robe, the fingers lightly caressing his chest, the hot breath on his neck.

He punched him.

"I… I'm sorry, it was a reflex! I…"

The Master took a hand to his lips and wiped the blood he knew was there, smiling. "Oh, I see. You want  _that_."

"Wha…? That what? I'm sorry! Please, I won't do it again!"

"Shh, don't make such a fuss. I'm just talking about these." He got a pair of plush handcuffs out of a nightstand and managed to lock Joey on the headboard of the bed while he was still too stupefied to do anything. "Kinky Puppy."

"No, I don't want that! Please take them off!"

"Oops, it seems I've misplaced the key. But don't worry, I'll look for it later." He climbed over Joey and opened his robe. "Malnourished or not, you still look as good as I always thought you would."

"Kaiba, please."

"You know, you're very polite today. Maybe I'll reward you for that. How does a doggy biscuit sound?"

"Don't you understand that I don't want this?"

He frowned, seemingly not understanding. "But… but  _I_  do." He looked like a spoiled child that had been denied candy. He  _was_  a spoiled child. Joey knew right then he was completely defeated. He didn't say anything else and closed his eyes. The world spun fast behind his drunken eyelids and he opened them again, afraid of passing out; that would probably just delay everything even further, seeing as the Master 'wasn't a beast or anything'. He decided the sooner it was over, the better.

A sweet strawberry scent piqued his curiosity and he searched for it. The Master was pouring something on his fingers. He started to hyperventilate.

"Come on, do I have to tell you everything? Breathe, relax, etc. Er… on a second thought, would you like a paper bag?" He didn't wait for an answer, wiping his fingers and searching the drawers for one. Luckily, he found it. He held it over Joey's face, and he slowly calmed down. "How can I do anything with you in this state? Oh well. Maybe we'll get luckier tomorrow."

"…No…"

"What?" He removed the bag from his face.

"Just… just get it over with. I don't think I can go through all this again."

The Master smiled angelically. "Good. At least now I have your consent." He started pouring out lube on his fingers again.

"B-bastard."

"Yep, sure am."

When a finger entered him, Joey instinctively moved a fist to punch again, momentarily forgetting he was cuffed.

"Calm down. This is going to be so good you'll feel silly for being so scared. Who doesn't like a little pain with their pleasure?" He moved the finger in and out.

"I don't!"

"Ha-ha. I knew you'd say that. But you have to try before you deny it. I guarantee it's good." The finger inspected deeper, and when Joey jolted surprised, he smiled. "See? I told you."

Joey was all kinds of red, from embarrassment, anger, alcohol. Again there was nothing he could say, he just controlled himself not to let out a betraying moan every time the Master touched that spot deep inside him.

When he felt another finger, he didn't have the strength to protest anymore, but then the Master started to stretch him and he couldn't help the yell. "Stop that!"

"Oh? But I can't stop. How will this fit inside you if I don't do this? I don't want to hurt you, Puppy." Joey didn't need to look to see what he was referring to. He tried to let his mind wander to somewhere else, but those fucking fingers wouldn't let him.

He didn't say anything when he felt yet another finger. The Master's unoccupied hand was on his face again. "Good boy." He opened his eyes to stare at a scarred wrist. A couple of scars seemed painfully recent. He didn't say anything and just stared at the blue eyes of his assailant.

"What? Don't you have bad days? Oh, silly question."

He would not feel sorry for him. There was no way in hell he would feel sorry for someone who was violating him like that. No. Not tonight he wouldn't.

"Right then." He removed the fingers from inside him and wiped them on his own robe, then took it off and threw it over the bed. He climbed over Joey, spreading his legs. "You're beautiful."

"You're sick."

The Master just smiled and entered him.

"You feel so good, Puppy…"

"…te you…" He had his eyes closed in agony.

"What's that?"

"I said I hate you. I hate you! I hate you!" He cried freely, more from anger than pain.

"Stop it. The sex toy is to be quiet while the Master plays with it. I do have a ball gag somewhere if you don't plan on being a good boy anymore." He wiped the tears away, but new ones kept forming anyway.

Joey stopped yelling and looked away, not caring about his pained expression and the tears rolling down his cheek.

The Master also looked away, his eyes landing on Joey's barely erect member. He took it in one hand and started to stroke him.

"No. I don't want it to feel good."

"Too bad. To have someone sleeping with me and not coming is just unthinkable."

"Argh! You're so infuriating!"

After he came on the Master's hand, his eyes instantly started to close, lethargy taking over him despite the situation.

"Oh no, you don't. Not until I finish." He thrust harder and Joey bucked under him.

"Stop it! I'm awake!"

"Good. I'm almost there. You just… feel so good I don't want it to end."

"Go to hell."

"Yeah, yeah." He came nearly a couple of minutes later, Joey too tired to complain about the ickyness.

"Unlock me."

"Aren't you the impatient one." He grabbed the key from the nightstand and unlocked the handcuffs. "You can have the room to yourself. I don't want to wake up with your hands around my neck."

"Whatever. Leave me alone."

"Nighty night, Puppy." He put on his robe and left.

Joey gladly welcomed the sleep that immediately took him.

oOo

He woke up with a hangover and an envelope on his chest.

"What's this?"

"Your salary. Thanks for your hard work."

Joey took a peek inside the envelope. It had easily twice as much than what he'd been paid as a cook.

"You'll get paid every time I play with you. Isn't that fun?"

"Heaps."

"Wonderful."

Was it worth it? He closed his eyes and thought about Serenity's sad smiling face.

Of course it was.

**4**

The second time was considerably less dramatic. By the third, Joey hardly complained. The Master tried to kiss him on the fourth and he punched him again, not apologizing this time. Then Joey got knocked out by something that smelled like chloroform. It wasn't. The Master explained it was a drug he created to incapacitate, but not anesthetize.

"Don't worry, it's completely nontoxic."

"Unlike you."

The Master laughed. "What? What does that even mean?"

"Shut up. I don't know. I'm groggy."

"Aw my poor Puppy. I'm going to use this whenever I feel you're threatening me, okay?"

"Go… fuck yourself."

"Oh, there's no need for that when you're right here."

Joey stared at him with an expression that was starting to rival his own.

"Lovely eyes." He tried the kiss again, but Joey pursed his lips. "You're so difficult. If I had a rolled paper here, I'd hit your nose with it."

"Yeah? Well, I'd rather hit you with a steamroller."

That caused the Master to laugh again. "I'm sorry. Your violence is too adorable."

Joey just rolled his eyes. There was no winning against that guy.

oOo

On Joey's birthday, the Master gave him a beautiful new deck, and actually got a tiny smile and a mumbled 'thanks' out of him.

"Come on, let's play. If you win, you can be Master. If I win, you let me kiss you. What do you say?"

"You know I'll lose."

"What, don't you want to try your luck? Maybe this deck is the one."

Unfortunately for the Master, he didn't stipulate how long the kiss should be, and Joey pushed him away after only a few seconds. He was beet red; the Master hadn't seen him blushing like that in a long time.

"Could it be… it was you first?"

"Sh-shut up! I'm going to bed. It's my birthday, so you don't get any today, got it?"

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"Goodnight."

" _Puppyyy_ …"

"I said goodnight!"

He slammed the door to his room, glad the Master actually let him go for once, and sat on his bed. He stared at the deck in his hands for a while. "Maybe this is the one, huh?"

He moved a loose board on the floor where he'd stored a few bottles of perfume and a cell phone he'd bought in secret.

"Hello, Mai? Long time no hear, eh? Listen, I was wondering if you could tell me something about that old strategy of yours…"

**The end**

**...or is it _the beginning_?**

**Author's Note:**

> B loves subtle innuendos…  
> B: In your endo har har~
> 
> Any coincidences you might have found here with other stories of mine were totally intentional. I wanted to play with the whole parallel worlds thing, but not too much.


End file.
